BY JACK KRESNAK FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER 

A lifelong football and basketball fan who had never seen a Detroit Red Wings game until Monday night, 18-year-old Taron Turner of Inkster has no doubts about who his favorite hockey player is. 

That would be Red Wings center Sergei Fedorov, whose foundation just awarded Turner a full college scholarship as well as money for books and room and board. 

"He's a pretty nice guy," Turner said Tuesday. 

At Fedorov's invitation, Turner attended the Wings' game against the Atlanta Thrashers on Monday night at Joe Louis Arena and met the player after the Wings' thrilling 3-2 overtime victory. 

"We shook hands. We had a conversation. We talked, and he's interested in really getting to know me," Turner said. 

Fedorov established the Sergei Fedorov Foundation in December 1998 to help local charities. He endowed the foundation with more than $2 million and donates $91 -- matching his uniform number -- to a group of Detroit-area charities for every Wing goal. But Fedorov said he wanted to become more personally involved in the lives of disadvantaged yet motivated kids. 

"It's something new; I wanted a new experience," Fedorov said. "I just want to help. I have younger brother and those kids deserve to have a chance." 

With help from his agent, Mike Liut, Fedorov took a close look at several area nonprofit agencies and selected Southfield-based Orchards Children's Services, one of the state's largest agencies providing foster care services for abused and neglected children. 

Liut met with Orchards' executive director Jerry Levin and was impressed with the agency's program that helps older foster children get financial aid for college. Levin died in April of a heart attack while on a trip to Petra, Jordan. 

Fedorov's foundation will give the money to the Orchards scholarship program -- about $200,000 over four years for each youth selected by Fedorov. 

"We want this to be successful," Liut said. "It's more than an entitlement or scholarship. We want to stay with you, with whatever you need. Need being the operative word." 

Turner, a former foster child, is the first to be selected. Fedorov said he will choose a youth each year to receive aid to attend college or trade school. 

"Every year we're going to add another student," Fedorov said. "It will be really interesting how some of those guys from the first year are going to be finished in five, six years." 

Turner was among the finalists chosen by Orchards because of his positive attitude and desire to succeed in college. He had been placed in foster care in 1996 because his mother, Trudy Turner, was overwhelmed with raising 11 children. 

"I had to write a letter and get letters of recommendation," said Turner, who started his freshman year at Central Michigan University with other forms of financial aid. "They read my letters and said they were very pleased." 

Turner is studying engineering and wants to be an aeronautical engineer. 

Fedorov said he wanted to help a student who was supporting himself. Turner works each summer at Mr. Alan's Shoes and Sportswear in Dearborn. 

Turner said he had watched Red Wings playoff games on television, but had never attended a game in person. He said he focused closely Monday on Fedrov, who scored no goals or assists. 

"I liked watching Sergei's defense," Turner said. "I liked the physical contact a lot." 

Turner knows how to roller-skate and now wants to learn to ice-skate.  

"They were telling me that he didn't speak that much English, but he seemed like he spoke enough to me pretty well," Turner said. "It was very exciting." 

Donations can be made to the Sergei Fedorov Scholarship Program in care of Orchards Children's Services, 30215 Southfield Road, Southfield 48076. Or call 248-433-8600 anytime.